Dharani Tech Edu Hub

Operators in C

---

Introduction

In C programming, operators are used to perform operations on variables and values.
They are essential for performing calculations, comparisons, and logical decisions in programs.

👉 In simple terms:
Operators are symbols that perform operations on operands (values).

---

What are Operators?

An operator is a symbol that tells the compiler to perform a specific operation.

👉 Example:

int a = 10 + 5;

Here:

• + → operator
• 10 and 5 → operands

---

Types of Operators in C

C provides several types of operators:

1. Arithmetic Operators
2. Relational Operators
3. Logical Operators
4. Assignment Operators
5. Increment & Decrement Operators
6. Bitwise Operators
7. Conditional (Ternary) Operator
8. Special Operators

---

1. Arithmetic Operators

Used for mathematical calculations:

Operator	Description	Example
+	Addition	a + b
-	Subtraction	a - b
*	Multiplication	a * b
/	Division	a / b
%	Modulus (remainder)	a % b

---

Example

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
    int a = 10, b = 3;

    printf("Addition = %d\n", a + b);
    printf("Subtraction = %d\n", a - b);
    printf("Multiplication = %d\n", a * b);
    printf("Division = %d\n", a / b);
    printf("Modulus = %d\n", a % b);

    return 0;
}

---

Output

Addition = 13
Subtraction = 7
Multiplication = 30
Division = 3
Modulus = 1

---

2. Relational Operators

Used to compare values:

Operator	Meaning	Example
==	Equal to	a == b
!=	Not equal	a != b
>	Greater than	a > b
<	Less than	a < b
>=	Greater or equal	a >= b
<=	Less or equal	a <= b

---

Example

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {

    int a = 5, b = 10;

    printf("a == b = %d\n", a == b);

    printf("a != b = %d\n", a != b);

    printf("a > b = %d\n", a > b);

    printf("a < b = %d\n", a < b);

    return 0;

}

Output

a == b = 0

a != b = 1

a > b = 0

a < b = 1

3. Logical Operators

Used for decision making:

Operator	Meaning	Example
&&	Logical AND	a > 0 && b > 0
||	Logical OR	a > 0 || b > 0
!	Logical NOT	!(a > b)

---

Example

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {

    int a = 1, b = 0;

    printf("AND = %d\n", a && b);

    printf("OR = %d\n", a || b);

    printf("NOT = %d\n", !a);

    return 0;

}

Output

AND = 0

OR = 1

NOT = 0

4. Assignment Operators

Used to assign values:

Operator	Description	Example
=	Assign	a = 10
+=	Add and assign	a += 5
-=	Subtract and assign	a -= 5
*=	Multiply and assign	a *= 2
/=	Divide and assign	a /= 2

---

Example

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {

    int a = 10;

    a += 5;

    printf("a += 5 → %d\n", a);

    a -= 3;

    printf("a -= 3 → %d\n", a);

    a *= 2;

    printf("a *= 2 → %d\n", a);

    a /= 4;

    printf("a /= 4 → %d\n", a);

    return 0;

}

Output

a += 5 → 15

a -= 3 → 12

a *= 2 → 24

a /= 4 → 6

5. Increment & Decrement Operators

Operator	Description	Example
++	Increment (increase by 1)	a++ or ++a
--	Decrement (decrease by 1)	a-- or --a

---

Example 1

int x = 5;
x++;  // x becomes 6
x--;  // x becomes 5

---

Example 2

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {

    int a = 5;

    printf("a++ = %d\n", a++);

    printf("After a++ → %d\n", a);

    printf("++a = %d\n", ++a);

    return 0;

}

Output

a++ = 5

After a++ → 6

++a = 7

6. Bitwise Operators

Used for bit-level operations:

Operator	Description	Example
&	Bitwise AND	a & b
|	Bitwise OR	a | b
^	Bitwise XOR	a ^ b
~	Bitwise NOT	~a
<<	Left Shift	a << 1
>>	Right Shift	a >> 1

---

Example

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {

    int a = 5, b = 3;

    printf("a & b = %d\n", a & b);

    printf("a | b = %d\n", a | b);

    printf("a ^ b = %d\n", a ^ b);

    printf("~a = %d\n", ~a);

    printf("a << 1 = %d\n", a << 1);

    printf("a >> 1 = %d\n", a >> 1);

    return 0;

}

Output

a & b = 1

a | b = 7

a ^ b = 6

~a = -6

a << 1 = 10

a >> 1 = 2

7. Conditional (Ternary) Operator

Used as a shortcut for if-else:

condition ? expression1 : expression2;

---

Example

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
    int a = 10, b = 20;

    int max = (a > b) ? a : b;

    printf("Max = %d", max);

    return 0;
}

---

Output

Max = 20

8. Special Operators

Operator	Description	Example
sizeof	Returns size of variable	sizeof(int)
&	Address of operator	&a
*	Pointer operator	*ptr

---

Example

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {

    int a = 10;

    int *ptr = &a;

    printf("Size of int = %lu\n", sizeof(a));

    printf("Address of a = %p\n", &a);

    printf("Value using pointer = %d\n", *ptr);

    return 0;

}

Output

Size of int = 4

Address of a = (memory address)

Value using pointer = 10

Operator Precedence

Operators follow priority rules:

Example:

int result = 10 + 5 * 2;

Output:

20

✔ Multiplication happens before addition

---

Common Mistakes

• ❌ Confusing = and ==
• ❌ Division with integers
• ❌ Incorrect use of logical operators
• ❌ Forgetting precedence rules

---

Pro Tips

• ✔ Use parentheses to control operations
• ✔ Practice each operator type
• ✔ Understand precedence clearly
• ✔ Write clean expressions

---

Conclusion

Operators are essential in C programming. They allow you to perform calculations, comparisons, and logical decisions effectively.

Mastering operators is a key step toward becoming a strong programmer.

👉 This article is part of Dharani Tech Edu Hub — where learning programming is made simple and practical.